Girl Power at BME celebrates Spice Girls at 30

The Spice Girls are being celebrated at the British Music Experience with a new exhibition marking the 30th anniversary of the seminal British group.

Spice Girls at 30, charting the history of Sporty, Baby, Scary, Posh and Ginger, is being hosted by the Cunard Building-based attraction from February 7 to September 8.

Exhibits come from the collection of the display’s independent curator Liz West, a superfan and avid collector of Spice Girls memorabilia since 1996 when she was 11, and include iconic costumes along with original official merchandise and other memorabilia.

West said she had wanted to exhibit her Guinness World Record-holding collection at the British Music Experience since she first visited it in its former home in London 15 years ago.

She added: “Bringing my collection to Liverpool is particularly fitting as it pays homage to ‘Sporty Spice’ Melanie C. I’m proud to be exhibiting costumes and items that have never been seen in public before.

“I hope this exciting exhibition brings back nostalgia and reminds visitors how influential and lively those five girls are…Girl Power!”

In March 1994, an advert appeared in The Stage asking: “Are you street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance?”

The Spice Girls exploded on the pop scene in 1996, with their debut single Wannabe reaching the top of the charts in 31 countries and propelling the group’s members to global superstardom. They went on to have nine UK number ones and sell 80 million records.

The display will be complemented by audio visuals including a stage show montage of Spice Girls’ hits, while the BME has organised an accompanying season of activity through its learning programme.

BME director Elizabeth Koravos says: “The British Music Experience is delighted to showcase the highlights of Liz West’s record-breaking collection. We’re excited to explore the Spice Girls’ meteoric successes of the 1990s and the enthralling result.

“A familiar story that started with a girl band being pressurised and ‘manufactured’ by male-dominated powerful forces but were able to shake it off. The result was the next generation of girls empowered by their lyrics, their performances and what they could hear and see in front of them; a diverse group of powerful women oozing with confidence and control.”

Girl Power! Spice Girls at 30 is at the British Music Experience on Liverpool’s waterfront from February 7 to September 8.